Packaging apparatus and process

ABSTRACT

A packaging apparatus and process for producing and using the same is provided having a tubular lining material defining a hollow-space therein with the lining material being folded outwardly over itself providing a chamber in which a casing material is positioned circumferentially over an inner layer of the lining material.

This application is a division, of application Ser. No. 08/591,114, nowU.S. Pat. No. 5,634,317 filed Jan. 25, 1996, which is afile-wrapper-continuation of application Ser. No. 08/344,954, nowabandoned filed Nov. 23, 1994, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a packaging apparatus, and moreparticularly, to a packaging apparatus that makes packaging variousproducts simpler, cleaner and more efficient.

PRIOR ART

The art of packaging extruded products, especially meat-based products,by high-speed methods is well-developed.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,373 to Corella discloses a peripherally sealed,flexible, dispensing package having a self-supporting, stand-upconfiguration. The package comprises a circumferential, flexible walldefining a compartment containing fluidic material, an inverted portionof the flexible wall that extends into the compartment, and aself-supporting rim formed by the confluence of the flexible wall withthe inverted portion. The package is made by inverting one wall of atraditional "lay-flat" dispensing package.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,17 to Baker discloses a multi-wall bag and itsmethod of manufacture to make a leak-proof package. The multi-wall bagis made by placing a leak-proof constriction in an intermediate positionalong a length of plastic tubing and manipulating the tubing forming adouble-walled container wherein one section is superimposed over theother section and the leak-proof barrier is positioned at the bottom ofthe container and between the inner section and the outer section whichhas been superimposed over the inner section.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,358 to Bennwik et al. discloses a package having aninner and an outer bag. The outer bag is light impermeable and the innerbag is light permeable, and the bag unfolds for use wherein the lightpermeable bag is on the outside to permit visibility of the contents.

When packaging extruded meat-based product, it is desirable for theproduct to be packaged in some material, such as a tubular netting, tocontain the product. It has been, and continues to be, desirable toexpose a material containing meat-based product to liquid smoke or othermaterial to enhance and preserve the flavor or life of the meat-basedproduct. Furthermore, the liquid material allows the netting to be moreeasily stripped off the meat product. In the past, it has been necessaryto use large amounts of liquid smoke or other material to saturate thecontainer material.

Accordingly, despite the existence of packaging techniques andapparatuses for extruded-type products, room for improvement existswithin the art, especially relating to the packaging of meat-based orlow viscosity products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is thus an object of this invention to provide a novel packagingapparatus and process of producing and using the same.

It is another object of this invention to provide a packaging apparatusand process of producing and using the same that can be flexible orrigid and can be used in a variety of diverse applications.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a packagingapparatus and process of producing and using the same that is ideallysuited for packaging raw meat.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a packaging apparatusand process of producing and using the same for packaging raw meat inwhich the package can be treated such as by saturation with a viscoussolution.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a packaging apparatusand process for producing and using the same which is easily interfacedwith a horn of a meat packaging machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a packaging apparatusand process for producing and using the same which can come in a varietyof tubular shapes.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a packaging apparatusand process for producing and using the same which can alternatively beused to protect fragile items placed therein from breakage.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a packagingapparatus and process for producing and using the same which canalternatively be used for collecting spilled liquids.

These as well as other objects are accomplished by a packaging apparatuscomprising a tubular lining material, defining a hollow space thereinand being folded outwardly over itself providing an inner layer and anouter layer and a chamber therebetween. A tubular netting or shirredmaterial is positioned within the chamber substantially between theinner and outer layer. The process for producing the packaging apparatusaccording to this invention comprises providing a tubular liningmaterial, placing a casing material around a portion of the liningmaterial, and folding the lining material outwardly at an open end andpulling it toward an opposite end of the lining material forming aninner and outer layer, with the casing material therebetween.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of a package apparatusconstructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 of the drawings is a cross-section view of the apparatusillustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings;

FIGS. 3 through 7 of the drawings illustrate the preferred process ofproducing the package apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 8 of the drawings illustrates the process of packaging an extrudedproduct according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 of the drawings illustrates a packaging apparatus according tothe present invention in which one of the ends of the lining material isclosed;

FIG. 10 of the drawings illustrates a packaging apparatus according tothe present invention which is open at both its ends; and

FIG. 11 of the drawings illustrates the use of a packaging apparatusaccording to the present invention being used as a mailer or protectorof fragile items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with this invention, it has been found that a packageapparatus and process for producing and using the same can be providedwhich although primarily suitable for packaging a variety of extrudedtypes of products, such as meat, poultry and other low viscosityproducts, has many other divergent uses and constructions. While theseare the primary advantages of the present invention, many otheradvantages and features will become apparent to those skilled in the artfrom a reading of the following description given with reference to thevarious figures of drawings.

FIG. 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of the finished packagingapparatus 10 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1,packaging apparatus 10 comprises a lining material which is preferablytubular in form and defines a cylindrical hollow-space 12 therein. Itshould be noted that while the figures herein depict acylindrically-shaped packaging apparatus 10, packaging apparatus 10 neednot be cylindrical. Accordingly, "tubular" as used herein should betaken to mean any hollow shape, including but not limited to,cylindrical, rectangular, square, hexagonal, etc. Various liningmaterials can be used depending upon the intended use of the package.For example, as will be described in detail below, the lining may bemade from either a permeable or impermeable plastic material or aplastic netting.

During the process for producing packaging apparatus 10, as will bedescribed below, the lining material is folded or inverted outwardlyover itself at an open end of the lining material to provide an innerlayer 14 and an outer layer 16 of the lining material with a chamber 18formed between inner layer 14 and outer layer 16. In accordance withthis invention, a casing material, illustrated in FIG. 1 in itspreferred embodiment as a tubular netting 20, is positioned insidechamber 18 circumferentially over inner layer 14. It is preferred thattubular netting 20 be a highly absorbent cotton or plastic and begathered or shirred within chamber 18 between inner layer 14 and outerlayer 16.

FIG. 2 of the drawings is a sectional view of the finished packagingapparatus 10 of FIG. 1 and more clearly illustrates inner layer 14 andouter layer 16 with tubular netting 20 gathered therebetween. As shownin FIG. 2, the lining material is an elongated, tubular, materialwherein the tubular material is folded outwardly over itself at opening26 and this folded portion is pulled back over the other end of thelining material. The two ends of the lining material are then joinedtogether, such as at 24, by a clip, a knot, or a heat-seal (hereinafterjointly referred to as "seal 24"), to encapsulate tubular netting 20fully within chamber 18 between inner layer 14 and outer layer 16 of thebag. In the case that tubular lining material has a closed end, theclosed end can be sealed to the open end as shown in FIG. 9.

Finally, FIG. 2 also illustrates the hollow-space 12, defined by theinner layer 14 of the lining material. Hollow-space 12, as will bedescribed below, is especially suitable for receiving a food dispensinghorn entirely therein. However, as it will also be described below, afragile item may be placed in hollow-space 12 to protect the item frombreakage.

Before describing how the packaging apparatus 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 ismade and used, reference should be made to FIG. 10 which shows analternative configuration of packaging apparatus 10. In this embodiment,packaging apparatus 10 has no closed ends and the open ends of innerlayer 14 and outer layer 16 are sealed together.

The structure of packaging apparatus 10, as previously described,therefore allows any liquid or chemical treatment to be added, asdesired, within chamber 18 to saturate tubular netting 20 and retain theliquid entirely within apparatus 10. This feature is advantageous as itprevents unnecessarily wasting liquid, and it allows liquid to be inchamber 18 with tubular netting 20 while the packaging apparatus is instorage awaiting use. In addition, this method promotes convenience andease of use with a device producing extruded food product, as discussedbelow.

FIGS. 3 through 7 of the drawings illustrate the preferred process ofproducing a packaging apparatus as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Asshown in FIG. 3, the process is initiated by providing a tubular liningmaterial, illustrated in its preferred embodiment as plastic bag 13,having two open ends, and defining a hollow-space 12 therein. A supportstructure, illustrated in FIG. 3 in its preferred embodiment as atubular, plastic pipe 28, having an open end 30 and defining ahollow-space 32 therein, is inserted inside plastic bag 13 so that openend 30 of pipe 28 is proximate to one end of plastic bag 13. This end isthen sealed closed, as at 24. Optionally, as shown in FIG. 4, it ispossible that this open end of the bag may be secured in position by useof a core plug. It is envisioned that support structures of otherconfigurations can be used in accordance with the process of producing apackaging apparatus according to this invention. For example, supportstructure 28 can be a square or rectangular tube or a flattened box.When shapes other than cylindrical are employed, it is foreseen that theparticular lining material and method by which the seals will be formedwill have to be modified so that upon removal of the form, the packagewill retain the complex shape. In the preferred process of thisinvention, plastic bag 13 is approximately twice the length of pipe 28,and pipe 28 can be inserted into plastic bag 13, or plastic bag 13 canbe drawn over pipe 28. It is preferred that plastic pipe 28 bepositioned within plastic bag 13 so that the open end of pipe 28 is nearan end of plastic bag 13.

Next, according to the process of this invention, as illustrated in FIG.5, a casing material is circumferentially placed around a portion of thelining material. The casing material, illustrated in its preferredembodiment as tubular netting 20, is pulled over a portion of the liningmaterial. In its preferred embodiment, tubular netting 20 is gathered orshirred substantially over that portion of the lining material thatcircumferentially surrounds pipe 28. For a typical approximatelyfour-foot long packaging apparatus 10, approximately 100 feet of netting20 is placed around the lining material.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings, and in accordance with thepreferred process of this invention, the other open end of the liningmaterial, illustrated as plastic bag 13, is folded outwardly and pulledback towards the other end of the bag. The folded over portion of thebag is pulled toward the other end of the bag, preferably over theentire tubular netting 20, so that the formerly distant opposite ends ofthe bag are now proximate to one another. In this manner, hollow-space12, defined by bag 13, is reduced in length and is now defined by innerlayer 14. Opening 26 to hollow-space 12, as illustrated in FIG. 2,exists at the area of the fold. Since tubular netting 20 has beenalready placed in position substantially over that part of the bag whichcircumferentially surrounds pipe 28, it is envisioned that the portionof the bag which is folded outwardly and pulled back, is pulled backover itself and tubular netting 20 to a point where the pulled-back endof the bag is proximate to the other end such that the two ends may bejoined together by another seal. Pulling the pulled-back portion backany further could cause tubular netting 20 to be pulled out of itsoriginally placed position and the first sealed end to be drawn downsuch that it cannot be attached to the pulled-back end. In theembodiment of FIG. 4, in which the plug is used to maintain the bag inits position, the plug will be removed so that the two bags ends may besealed together. Although it is described herein that the casingmaterial illustrated as tubular netting 20 be positioned on a portion ofthe bag prior to folding a portion of the bag outwardly and pulling thefolded portion over the casing material, it is envisioned that the bagcould be folded outwardly and pulled over itself so opposing ends of thebag are proximate one another and creating the inner space or chamber 18between inner layer 14 and outer layer 16 prior to placement of thecasing material. For manufacturing simplication, and in accordance withthe preferred process of this invention, however, it is illustratedherein that tubular netting 20 be gathered into place prior to pullingthe folded portion of the bag back over the casing material.

The final steps, according to the process of this invention, compriseremoving pipe 28 from within hollow-space 12, inserting any optionaldesired liquids such as chemical treatments, e.g., liquid smoke for meatproducts; water; or other desired treatments, within chamber 18; and,sealing the ends of the bag together to fully encapsulate tubularnetting 20 between inner layer 14 and outer layer 16. When liquidmaterials are added to the netting 20, it is important that the liningmaterial be made from an impermeable material so that there is noleakage and the packaging apparatus can be stored without soilinganything nearby. However, when no liquid materials will be added or theend-user will add the liquid materials later, the lining material may bemade from a permeable material or even a plastic net.

FIG. 7 illustrates pipe 28 being removed from hollow-space 12, however,the ends of the plastic bag are not illustrated as being sealed togetherat this point, since it is at this point that any liquids that aredesirable are inserted into and maintained within chamber 18 wheretubular netting 20 is exposed to and can absorb, or be saturated by,such liquid depending on the amount. Furthermore, it is possible thatthe liquids may be added prior to the removal of the pipe 28; all thatis required is the bag ends not being sealed together.

After the liquid or any other chemical treatment is inserted intochamber 18, the ends of the bag can be sealed together, such as at 24 inFIG. 2, to close off hollow-space 12. The purpose of sealing two endstogether is to totally encapsulate netting 20 within chamber 18. Thiscan be done by dipping the two ends together which seals off hollowspace 12 or sealing inner layer 14 to outer layer 16 circumferentially,thus maintaining openings on both ends of packaging apparatus 10. Thisfully encapsulates tubular netting 20, and any liquid that might havebeen added, within chamber 18 between inner layer 14 and outer layer 16.The ends of the bag are preferably hermetically sealed together. Thepackage can then be stored until needed and is easily transportable.

The packaging apparatus 10, and its method for construction, having beendescribed, the various ways in which the package may be used will bedescribed.

As described above, the primary use of packaging apparatus 10 isattachment to a device that produces and packages extruded product, suchas meat. FIG. 8 of the drawings illustrates packaging apparatus 10 beingused with a device producing extruded product. Horn 34 is longer thanpackaging apparatus 10. The device producing the extruded product, alsoknown as a meat sizing machine, can be of any conventional type. Apackaging apparatus 10, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings,is preferably fitted to loading horn 34 by placing opening 26 ofpackaging apparatus 10 onto and around the loading horn as illustratedin FIG. 8. Horn 34 will entirely pass through hollow-space 12. Eitherbefore or after placing the packaging apparatus on loading horn 34, thesealed end of packaging apparatus 10 is cut open, as illustrated in FIG.8, to allow the product to pass through horn 34 until it reaches tubularnetting 20, which will be sealed closed, such as at 43, prior to thedispensing of extruded product 36.

As loader extrudes 34 produces product 36, product 36 is forced directlyagainst tubular netting 20, which is now free to exit chamber 18 becauseof the cut-open lining, and is pulled out of chamber 18 enough to fitcircumferentially around product 36 as it exits horn 34 in such a waythat movement of product 36 causes movement of tubular netting 20. Inthis manner, the gradual exit of the product from packaging apparatus 10causes tubular netting 20 to gradually ungather and exit its enclosureas it tightly fits around the product and is pulled out of chamber 18 asproduct 36 is forced out of horn 34. At desired points, the product,wrapped by tubular netting 20, can be cut from the continuous flow ofextruded product, such as at 38, and tubular netting 20 can be closedoff (not shown) at the cut, for a finished and packaged end product 40.When all of the tubular netting has exited the chamber of the bag, theempty bag can be removed from the loading horn and the sequence can berepeated with a new packaging apparatus.

Packaging apparatus 10 can alternatively be used as a protective maileror as an apparatus for protecting fragile items. For these particularuses, it is envisioned that netting 10 will not be used as a casing foran extruded product but as a protective cushion. As shown in FIG. 11,the item P to be mailed or protected will be placed into hollow-space 12of a packaging apparatus 10 of suitable size and then the opening 26sealed in any number of conventional ways as at 28. Thus, the item to beprotected will be encapsulated within apparatus 10 and substantiallyprotected from impact-type forces by the cushioning of netting 20.Finally, it should be noted in these particular applications, there isno requirement that the lining material be impermeable and may evencomprise a plastic netting 43.

Packaging apparatus 10 has yet another use of picking up or blocking offspilt liquids. For this use, the lining material will be either apermeable material or a plastic netting, as described above. A pluralityof packaging apparatuses 10 can then be placed entirely around the spillto contain the spill within the bound area and the highly absorbent andcapillary nature of netting 20 will cause the spill to be drawn intonetting 20. When the spilled material is fully drawn within netting 20,the apparatuses 10 will be discarded.

While the packaging apparatus according to this invention isparticularly suited for use in packaging food products, it is furtherenvisioned that the packaging apparatus has applications in packagingother products, such as more solid products like concrete, to producethe products in cylindrical shapes of desired lengths andcircumferences. The packaging apparatus even has application forenclosing other types of products utilizing the casing material such asa cast for enclosing body limbs or other objects.

It is seen that the invention provides a novel packaging apparatus andprocess of producing and using the same. It is further seen that theinvention provides a packaging apparatus and process of producing andusing the same that can be flexible or rigid and can be used in avariety of diverse applications. It is still further seen that theinvention provides a packaging apparatus and process of producing andusing the same that is ideally suited for packaging raw meat. It isstill further seen that the invention provides a packaging apparatus andprocess of producing and using the same for packaging raw meat in whichthe package can be treated such as by saturation with a viscoussolution. It is still further seen that the invention provides apackaging apparatus and process for producing and using the same whichis easily interfaced with a horn of a meat packaging machine. It isstill further seen that the invention provides a packaging apparatus andprocess for producing and using the same which can come in a variety oftubular shapes. It is still further seen that the invention provides apackaging apparatus and process for producing and using the same whichcan alternatively be used to protect fragile items placed therein frombreakage. It is still further seen that the invention provides apackaging apparatus and process for producing and using the same whichcan alternatively be used for collecting spilled liquids. Manyvariations are apparent of those in skill art and such variations areembodied within the spirit of the present invention as measured by thefollowing appended claims.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A process for producing a packaging apparatus comprising the steps of:providing a tubular lining material having at least one open end and defining a hollow space therein; placing a casing material circumferentially around a portion of the lining material; and folding the lining material outwardly at an open end and pulling it toward an opposite end of the lining material thereby forming an inner and an outer layer of the lining material; whereby the casing material is positioned substantially between the inner layer and the outer layer of the lining material; passing a product through the hollow space and pulling the casing material from between the inner layer and outer layer of the lining material so as to surround the product as the product passes through the hollow space.
 2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the casing material is gathered between the inner layer and outer layer of the lining material.
 3. The process according to claim 1 further comprising placing a support shell in the hollow space of the lining material prior to placing the casing material over the lining material.
 4. The process according to claim 1 further comprising removing the support shell after placing the casing material over the lining material.
 5. The process according to claim 1 further comprising adding a liquid to the casing material between the inner layer and outer layer of the lining material.
 6. The process according to any of claims 1, 2, or 5 further comprising sealing a portion of the inner layer of the lining material to a portion of the outer layer encapsulating the casing material between the inner layer and the outer layer.
 7. The process according to claim 1 further comprising inserting a product into the hollow space of the lining material and sealing the hollow space closed to fully encapsulate the product therein.
 8. The process according to claim 2 wherein the casing material is a tubular netting that is gathered between the inner layer and outer layer and further comprising:placing a treatment material within an area between the inner layer and the outer layer; exposing the casing material to the treatment material; passing a product through the hollow space; and ungathering the casing material around the product as it exits the hollow space of the lining material.
 9. The process according to claim 1 wherein the casing material is an absorbent netting material;said lining material is a liquid permeable material; and said packaging apparatus is used to absorb a spilled liquid. 